Sojourner Truth statue unveiling draws hundreds (videos)

The Amadou Diallo Drum Group, led by Amadou Diallo of New Paltz, center, performs at Saturday's unveiling ceremony at Sojourner Truth Park at Broadway and Salem Street in Port Ewen. (Freeman photo by Eric Houghtaling)

PORT EWEN, N.Y. -- The long-awaited journey came to an end Saturday as hundreds gathered in Port Ewen for the unveiling of the statue of Sojourner Truth, an Ulster County slave who became a nationally-known abolitionist and human rights advocate in the 1800s.

The bronze statue, sculpted by New Paltz artist Trina Green, sits in a small park at the corner of Salem Street and U.S. Route 9W in the town of Esopus hamlet on the site of the former town hall.

An interpretive sign on the other side of the park explains Truth's plight as a child and young adult, and her metamorphosis into the woman who spoke out strongly against slavery.

It was in 2006 that the Esopus Town Board decided to make the park a memorial to Truth, and a committee has been busily raising funds to get to Saturday's ceremony.

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"I spoke (at the meeting) about finding something to unify the community because there was a lot of division about what to place here," said committee member Evelyn Clarke. "Debbie Sylvestro suggested Sojourner Truth and we came to an agreement and this is the fruition."

Truth, who was originally known as Isabella Baumfree, according to organizers, was born in Esopus in 1797 and lived the first 30 years of her life in Ulster County.

The 5-foot-6-inch statue depicts Truth as a 12-year-old, carrying jugs of either water, molasses or rum, to the Jug Tavern that was owned by her master at the time, Martinus Schryver, in the early 1800s.

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston, who was instrumental in securing funds in the form of a New York State capital grant for the project's completion, characterized what would have been Truth's daily trip from the home on River Road to the Hudson River near Sleightsburg, carrying 60 pounds on her back.

"Her young life was robbed of a childhood ,,, treated like property," he said. "When you think about what she endured, it's a testament to what she became."

Other speakers included Esopus Town Supervisor John Coutant, local poet Bobbie Katz, Green, and CBS-TV "Sunday Morning" contributor Nancy Giles.

"I thought about where I was as an 11, 12, 13 year old," Giles said. "I grew up in New York City and I don't fault my public school, but by the time I was around 11 or so, I was aware of slavery, but never really knew it existed in New York. I thought of it as a Southern thing.

She walked along these roads and this statue marks a moment in her daily existence," Giles added. "Our American history can sometimes be very bizarre, but let's hope that this statue will serve as a reminder to move forward so as not to repeat the mistakes of our past."